Italy vs Denmark

Open Round 3

On Monday morning, the overnight leaders, host country Italy, got the chance to clarify their position at the top of the standings with maximum V.P. to a larger audience. They were to face Denmark, who had not made a particularly solid start. The first two boards to be shown on the screens were 19 and 20, and both looked favourable to Denmark. They will appear at the end of this report, however.

On the first two boards, Italy took the lead by 2 IMPs to 1, but then a series on eight boards came on which the Italians recorded five major swings. Here are four of them in extenso.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª K J 8 7 6 2 © 5 ¨ Q 9 8 § 9 5 2
ª - © A Q J 7 6 3 ¨ 10 6 5 4 2 § K 10		ª Q 10 9 3 © K 10 4 ¨ A K J 3 § J 7
	ª A 5 4 © 9 8 2 ¨ 7 § A Q 8 6 4 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
			1§
1©	Dble	2¨	Pass
4©	4ª	Dble	All Pass

In spite of knowing about the double fit Peter Schaltz elected to pass his partner's double, thus going for a solid +300 to Denmark. There was more in the board, however, as was proved at the other table:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
			1§
1©	2ª	Dble	3ª
4©	4ª	5©	All Pass

Here, Lauria could "see" his partner's spade void from the bidding, so he was in a good position NOT to double 4ª. Right he was: Italy +680 when Versace took a second-round diamond finesse. Nine IMPs.

Then came:

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª J 9 © A 10 8 ¨ K Q 7 5 3 2 § J 5
ª Q 7 6 4 © K J 9 7 2 ¨ 8 6 § A 6		ª A K 8 © 6 5 4 ¨ A J 9 § K 10 8 4
	ª 10 5 3 2 © Q 3 ¨ 10 4 § Q 9 7 3 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
Pass	1¨	1NT	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
3©	Pass	4©	All Pass

Simple straightforward bidding led to a perfectly normal contract. On the actual layout, the winning defence was perfectly normal too: top diamond won by the ace, trump to the jack and ace followed by two more rounds of diamonds, South ruffing the third round with the queen to promote the setting tricks. Italy +100.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
Pass	1¨	1NT	Pass
2¨	Pass	2©	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Pass
3NT	All Pass

A transfer sequence this time followed by two descriptive bids which enabled Lauria to sit 3NT. Once again, he was right, but best defence might have given him a nasty time. South leads the ¨10 and North ducks. At the table, North put up the queen and Lauria ducked, which was the end of the defence as Lauria now could give a heart trick to South who was already out of diamonds. So Italy registered a well-earned +630 and 12 more IMPs.

On board 6, Italy got another big swing when a game was let through at one table, and after two quiet boards we saw the mini-NT in operation:

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª 9 4 3 © K J 5 ¨ Q J 7 § K 9 4 3
ª A K Q 2 © 9 8 4 ¨ A 8 6 4 § 10 2		ª J 10 8 7 5 © 10 7 2 ¨ 5 § A Q J 5
	ª 6 © A Q 6 3 ¨ K 10 9 3 2 § 8 7 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
	1NT	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	Pass	2¨
Pass	Pass	2ª	All Pass

The problem here is, whether West is worth a raise when partner first passes the double of the 9-12 NT and then introduces a suit of her own in which you happen to hold AKQx. The Vugrpah majority view was yes, but it has to be taken into account that they could see the hands…

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
	Pass	Pass	1¨
Pass	2§	Pass	Pass
Dble	2¨	3ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

The weak NS bidding seemed to solve the Italian problems, as they bid up to game almost too easily…another 10 IMPs to the Azzurri.

And the most sensational swing of them all:

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª K J 10 3 2 © J 5 ¨ 7 § A J 9 7 2
ª 9 4 © A K 8 6 4 ¨ A 10 8 § K 8 5		ª - © 10 7 3 2 ¨ K Q 6 5 4 3 § 10 4 3
	ª A Q 8 7 6 5 © Q 9 ¨ J 9 2 § Q 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
		Pass	2ª
Dble	4ª	5¨	All Pass

Looking at the hand superficially, the Danes in the Open Room seemed to have won the board for their side when Duboin failed to find the killing §Q lead but put the ªA on the table instead. Denmark +600 whereas 6ª goes down only two which would net just +500 to them.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
		Pass	1ª
Dble	2NT	3ª	Pass
4©	4ª	5©	Pass
Pass	5ª	Pass	Pass
6©	Dble	All Pass

For the third time in this short string of boards, Lauria did very well. It was his 3ª-bid that enabled Versace to take the winning decision of going on to 6© later on. With the hearts 2-2 and the §K protected on the lead, this was unbeatable, so Italy scored a rarely seen +1860 and 15 IMPs.

As Denmark recorded two small partscore gains the score stood at 61-10 when the next swing board hit the wall. Once again, the Italians were at the positive side of it:

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª A Q 9 6 5 © 8 7 ¨ K 2 § K Q 9 2
ª K 10 3 © K J 5 ¨ Q 10 9 8 7 5 § 6		ª 2 © Q 9 4 3 ¨ A J 4 3 § 10 8 7 4
	ª J 8 7 4 © A 10 6 2 ¨ 6 § A J 5 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
			Pass
Pass	1ª	Pass	4§
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Ten undisturbed tricks, Italy +620.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
			Pass
Pass	1ª	Pass	3NT
4¨	4ª	5¨	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Versace showed more enterprising spirit than Schaltz when he went for the intervention over 3NT which showed spades. This time, he hit Lauria with a more than suitable hand, so another good score for Italy was born. NS can make 5ª but it would be asking far too much of them to bid on and prove it. Denmark thus had to be content with +100 only and lost another 11 IMPs.

On the last board to be displayed on Vugraph, we saw another variation on the theme of the superiority of 3NT over 4©.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 8 © 7 6 5 2 ¨ 7 5 4 3 § K Q 8
ª 10 7 6 3 © A K Q J 9 ¨ Q J 2 § 2		ª 9 4 2 © 3 ¨ A K 9 8 6 § A 10 5 4
	ª A K J 5 © 10 8 4 ¨ 10 § J 9 7 6 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
		1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	2§	Pass
2ª	Pass	3¨	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Dble
Pass	Pass	Redble	Pass
4¨	Pass	4©	All Pass

Duboin's unexpected double of 3ª complicated matters for EW. Though 3NT is unbeatable, it did not look a safe spot any longer. Besides, had dummy held any higher heart singleton, 4© might have been in safety as well. As it was, four rounds of spades beat 4© when North could ruff in front of dummy's ©3.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
		1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	2§	Pass
2ª	Pass	3¨	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Dble
3NT	All Pass

The same unexpected double here, but Versace was not to be disturbed. He realised that 4© might be in danger and that 3NT might still be made on many a layout of the entire spade suit. Well judged, Italy another 400 and 10 IMPs to bring to score to 82-10.

After all this one-way traffic, we come to the final two boards of the match. The Vugraph audience knew from the beginning that these boards might be useful to Denmark, and so it proved.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª Q J 9 7 5 4 3 © J 7 ¨ 6 5 § 6 2
ª 8 6 © A 8 ¨ K 7 4 § K 10 9 8 5 4		ª 10 2 © Q 5 2 ¨ J 10 9 8 3 2 § A 7
	ª A K © K 10 9 6 4 3 ¨ A Q § Q J 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
			1©
2§	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	3ª	All Pass

When the defence started off with three rounds of clubs, Bocchi could ruff in hand and lead a heart to the nine which held to ensure his contract. He simply continued with one round of trumps and another heart from the board, felling the ace. Italy +170. The light 2§-overcall had done its work.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
			1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	3§
Pass	3ª	Pass	4¨
Pass	4ª

When Versace did not overcall (he was vulnerable, after all), the Danes had a free run as North could show his spades immediately. Lauria once again made the best lead, the ¨J to the queen and king, but later on the defence slipped when it failed to take the two club tricks available. Denmark +420 and 6 IMPs back.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª K J 6 5 © 10 6 ¨ K 5 § K Q J 9 5
ª 9 © K Q J 5 ¨ 9 4 3 § A 8 6 4 3		ª Q 7 4 © A 9 8 3 2 ¨ A Q J 10 § 10
	ª A 10 8 3 2 © 7 4 ¨ 8 7 6 2 § 7 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
P. Schaltz	Bocchi	D. Schaltz	Duboin
Pass	1§	1©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4§	Pass
4©	Pass	4NT	Pass
5ª	Pass	6©	All Pass

Always good to bid and make a slam after an opening bid at the one-level by an opponent. The slam was on the diamond finesse, but very much odds-on in view of that opening bid. Well done, Denmark +1430.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Versace	Bruun	Lauria	Blakset
1§	Pass	1©	Pass
2©	2ª	2NT	4ª
Pass	Pass	5¨	Pass
5©	All Pass

When Versace opened the bidding in first seat, Bruun could not give away the show any more, so the Italians settled for the safe game. This late swing brought the final score to 82-34 to Italy, another maximus 25-5.